Page 29 of Only You

His jaw clenched at her statement, but his face stayed impassive. ‘A martyr through and through,’ he said passively.

She looked down so he couldn’t see the regret that consumed her. Perhaps, it would be better to retire for the night. She opened her eyes and froze when she saw smoke rising from the estate.

‘Damien,’ she whispered, pointing behind him.

He turned, his gaze following the smoke above her, and pushed her back towards the party. ‘Get out,’ he commanded. ‘I’ll go in and evacuate the crowd.’

‘Damien, no!’

‘I won’t go in,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry and don’t look back.’

She nodded, and he took off without another word. Sabine started towards the nearest gate but turned back, watching the flames rise and trickle down the hall. She suddenly remembered a key detail to tell Damien. Her father was inside in Roulet’s study.

Panic surged through her as she watched the smoke rise higher. There were soldiers everywhere. She could grab one and maybe they would be able to get him out. It would be better for her to escape and wait… or maybe they would let him die.

I’m sorry, Damien .

She raced through the courtyard, up the stairs and through burning hallways to the study. He was the only family she had left. Despite all the rage and all the pain, she couldn’t take a chance on her father’s life.

By the time Damien reached the main estate, the guests had noticed the fire and were panicking. He didn’t pay attention as he led more bewildered guests away from the fire, barking orders at the guards. Frantic, people rushed towards the exits, and he could only hope that Sabine had already left.

‘You!’ Damien spun around to see Kwame pushing his way through the crowd towards him.

‘Where’s Sabine?’ Kwame shouted.

‘She’s here, probably in the back of the crowd. She was outside when the fire started,’ Damien reassured him, trying not to look worried.

A guard with soot on his face raced towards the group. ‘I checked the ballroom. Everyone has been escorted out.’

‘Sabine!’

Damien’s head snapped to Kwame’s direction, expecting to see his ex-flame running towards her father.

Instead, Kwame was staring at the house in horror.

Damien followed his gaze and saw a glimpse of Sabine through the flames.

His eyes widened in shock, trying to work out which room she was in. Why would she go to Roulet’s study?

‘I’m going inside for Sabine. If I don’t make it back in an hour’s time, head to General Roulet’s home. Captain Cadieux will be in charge from there on out,’ he ordered the guard.

Damien charged towards the house, the guards yelling for him to come back. He ignored them, the only thing on his mind, the woman he needed to save.

The light was blinding around Sabine. It consumed the room in a way one could call beautiful from afar. Inside, however, there was nothing but terror and relief. Relief that her father wasn’t there. Terror knowing she wouldn’t escape the fire.

She coughed through the smoke as flames climbed the walls.

Flames licked at her ankles as she wove through the burning room, not enough air in her lungs to scream.

The door wasn’t consumed yet, but it was blocked on the other side by fallen decor.

She tried to move the burning furniture out of the way, ignoring the hiss of skin.

She pushed at it desperately, resorting to kicking when it refused to budge. She wheezed as her chest burned, falling to the ground. Her body trembled from the overwhelming heat and lack of oxygen.

She slumped further until she lay on the ground and closed her eyes. It was ironic that the last few years of her life had been spent surrounded by people, only for her to be left alone in her dying moments. She blinked slowly when she heard something bang against the door.

‘Sabine!’ A familiar voice made its way through the roar of flames. She tried to sit up, but her head was swimming. The door rattled with force but didn’t open. The banging and the screams became more desperate. ‘Sabine! I’m coming, Sabine!’

She closed her eyes as the cries grew more and more desperate. It was a useless endeavour on her rescuer’s end. He wouldn’t have time to make it out of the flames now either, and she mourned at the thought.

He, the love of her life, didn’t deserve to die this way.

‘Damien…’ she whispered.

Her fingers brushed the door. For a moment, her body felt suspended in time, a curtain of silence falling over her as images flickered between the flames.

She saw glimpses of her father, the cold courtship between her and Lamont and the many nights she had spent silently crying.

Yet, what she clung to most were her memories with Damien, stretching out like endless summer afternoons.

It should have been a blip in her life and yet…

if she had to do this all over again, living and failing just for a few more perfect, ill-timed moments, would she?

Yes , she answered silently.

She had no time to think whether or not she was foolish. She was too busy drowning in smoke.

‘Sabine!’ Damien shouted desperately against the door. He could just make out the sound of her coughing, which was the only thing that kept him beating against the door futilely.

It was the only thing he could do.

There was no way out, which he had realised on entering the house.

The more sweat poured out of him, the more he realised he wouldn’t survive.

He could barely feel his hands anymore as the skin blistered under the relentless flames.

It got harder and harder to move his arms. All he had left was the desperate need to break down the door so Sabine wouldn’t die alone.

But he was unable to break it down.

Eventually, all he could do was slump against it, his energy dissipating as his vision swam.

His mind screamed for him to keep fighting as the flames edged closer to his body, but he couldn’t.

Yet, something inside him raged futilely.

He refused to believe this was the end, but the truth was unavoidable and all he could do was watch the fire consume him.

‘Sabine…’ he croaked desperately, smoke coating his throat as he took one last breath.